Will Young Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
On his fourth release in the mainstream market, Will Young once again sticks to what he does best: produce material satisfying to the adult contemporary listener. Once again, he has done so while balancing soft-spoken ballads with effervescent fresh dance tunes pleasing to a general audience, although this time around only a handful of tracks truly excel. As Young matures with every disc he releases, so does his music, as seen on Let It Go. Young evokes George Michael on his first single, "Changes," but keeps up his credibility as he croons "Grace" and shakes up the beat with the album's strongest upbeat track, "Tell Me the Worst." Young's unique tone can also be heard on bright tracks like "If Love Equals Nothing" and "Let It Go." ~ Matthew Chisling, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The difficult second album is perhaps more difficult for a reality pop star than anyone else. It's almost a guarantee that no matter what the quality, any debut album from an artist who's had a captive audience of millions of viewers every Saturday night will sell by the bucketload. Even the long-forgotten Steve Brookstein and Journey South have had number one albums. But it's what you do after, without the constant mass exposure, that can determine career longevity. Pop Idol winner Will Young was lucky in the respect that his debut, From Now On, gave him a relatively strong platform to launch from. Not as rush-released as Popstars Hear'Say's first effort, and with the likes of Burt Bacharach and Cathy Dennis on board, it was a well-produced if sometimes unimaginative collection of songs that justified his position as one of Britain's most popular singers. But with a determination not to be pigeonholed by Simon Cowell, Young has made the brave decision to move away from pop's most influential man for follow-up Friday's Child. So this time round, there are no duets with Gareth Gates, no big power ballads, and certainly no Westlife cover versions. Instead, it's a much more personal affair that showcases both his songwriting talent (Young receives co-writing credits on six of the eleven tracks here) and his undoubtedly unique soulful tones. Lead single "Leave Right Now" is already considered a modern classic, its gentle acoustic verses, impassioned chorus, and sweeping strings are about a million miles away from his inherently corny debut single "Evergreen." It's a statement of intent that confirms his decision to do things his own way has most definitely paid off. With the help of writers Karen Poole, Eg White, and Steve Lipson, the majority of Friday's Child is just as convincing. "Your Game," a Best British Single winner at the 2005 Brits, recalls the '80s soul-pop of the Blow Monkeys thanks to its gospel choir and funky basslines; "Dance the Night Away" and "Out of My Mind" are reminiscent of Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson, and "Love the One You're With," the only cover on the album, is an uplifting rendition of the Stephen Stills folk classic. Best of all is the epic seven-minute long title track, a jazz-influenced chill-out number which sounds like the missing link between the Lighthouse Family and Groove Armada. While certainly far more adventurous than his debut, it still sometimes lapses into MOR territory, particularly on the Simply Red-esque "Free" and the rather aimless and ultimately quite drab acoustic ballad "Very Kind." But overall, Friday's Child will undoubtedly bury the reality pop tag once and for all. Britain's first Pop Idol has become an artist in his own right and the fact he's done it without the Cowell juggernaut behind him should make its success even sweeter. ~ Jon O'Brien, All Music Guide
'From Now On'
Release Date 11/12/2002
Tracks 13
Label BMG International
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Six months after the nation voted him Britain's first Pop Idol, Will Young faces a much more daunting prospect than singing in front of Simon Cowell: the pressure of releasing one of the most eagerly awaited debut pop albums of recent times. Considering fellow TV popstars Hear'Say took just six weeks to record their rather forgettable first effort, the fact that From Now On hasn't been rush-released bodes well. Not that you'd know it from its first three singles. Simon Cowell is undoubtedly a shrewd businessman who knows where the money is, but his artistic merit is virtually zero. Young proved himself to be one of the most gifted and unique vocalists a U.K. talent show has seen, which makes it even more remarkable that he was lumbered with material that could have finished his career before it began. "Evergreen," the fastest debut selling single of all time, can be slightly forgiven. A cover of a Westlife album track, it's corny and it's clichéd, but its faux-inspirational lyrics and "stand up for the key change" power ballad sound has become the template for every talent contest winner from Kelly Clarkson to Leona Lewis. Its lesser known double A-side, "Anything Is Possible," is less successful. Written by Cathy Dennis, presumably on an off day, it's a limp and lifeless attempt at smooth R&B, a direction Young has unsurprisingly decided not to attempt ever since. "Light My Fire," a cover of the José Feliciano interpretation rather than the Doors original is far more suited to Young's soulful vocals and indeed, it's the first time we get to hear his now trademark ad-libs, but it's a lazy and uninspired choice that seems designed purely to score another number one. However, it's not as lazy as the third single, a duet with Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates on a cover of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road." An excruciatingly dull karaoke number, it amazingly doesn't appear on Gates' poor debut but has somehow found its way onto the far superior Young's. So it comes as a relief that the rest of From Now On is a lot more subtle -- its strings-drenched pop evoking the classic Burt Bacharach sound of the '60s. Indeed Bacharach pops up himself as co-writer of the lush "What's in Goodbye," but the likes of "Cruel to Be Kind" and "Lovestruck" wouldn't sound out of place on a Music to Watch Girls Go By compilation, either. The more contemporary sounding songs are just as convincing. The title track is a lovely acoustic midtempo number that has shades of Robbie Williams' more tender moments, while "You And I," probably the album's highlight, is a gorgeous piano-led ballad featuring a gospel choir and a storming chorus that manages to be uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. Overall, it's an inconsistent effort. But if you ignore the rotten singles, you're left with a well-produced and well-crafted collection of mature pop songs that suggests Young will have no problem breaking free from his Pop Idol tag in the future. ~ Jon O'Brien, All Music Guide
